Eternal Rhythm: Johnny Griffin

There’s a particular kind of confidence that only comes from being young, supremely gifted, and unafraid of comparison. Johnny Griffin had all three when he walked into Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in 1957 and cut A Blowing Session.

This is a record built around friendly competition, but it never tips into ego. Paired with John Coltrane on tenor sax, Griffin doesn’t attempt to out-muscle or out-mystify. Instead, he plays with clarity, bite, and relentless forward motion. Where Coltrane searches, Griffin states. The contrast gives the session its electricity.

What makes A Blowing Session endure isn’t the novelty of the matchup, but the balance it strikes between virtuosity and swing. This is hard bop at full speed, yet it never sounds breathless. The rhythm section - Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, Art Blakey - keeps everything grounded, allowing the horns to stretch without losing shape.

Griffin’s tone is huge, agile, and unapologetically melodic. Even at his fastest, there’s a sense of joy here, the thrill of discovery rather than the weight of ambition. It’s a reminder that technical brilliance, when paired with personality, doesn’t date.

More than a historical footnote, A Blowing Session captures a moment when jazz still believed completely in momentum: in forward motion, in dialogue, and in the idea that the next chorus could change everything.

Buy: A Blowing Session